1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to multimedia communications, and more particularly, to a network that provides variable, on-demand, data bandwidth, for communication sessions between any two or more computers (and/or users) using the network; and even more particularly, a network that provides such variable, on-demand, bandwidth cost effectively not only between computers (and/or users) connected locally (in the same building) using the network, but also between computers (and/or users) across great distances. The present invention effectively combines the usefulness of public packet-switched network infrastructures, such as the Internet, with public circuit-switched network infrastructures such as the public switched telephone network (PSTN), in such a way that a user can benefit from access to and control of both types of switching infrastructures from a single computer using a single, common and standard interface tool such as a web browser.
2. Description of the Related Art
Multimedia communications, such as video communication or video information publication and distribution, require sustained data throughput rates above 300 kbps and up to 6 Mbps to achieve image size, quality and frame rates similar to that of television. Achieving such high quality multimedia connections on-demand, across wide areas, with the bandwidth required for this type of high quality video or other multimedia communication is impossible using conventional digital telephone services, such as BRI ISDN, that provide connections of only one or two switched bearer channels, (each of which provides a capacity of 64 kbps), or using analog switched telephone service with modems that provide even less capacity on each connection (usually less than 36 kbps). Even when multiple bearer channels are used to achieve greater bandwidth capacity on connections using services such as PRI ISDN, or by combining multiple BRI ISDN connections, such higher bandwidth connections are difficult to achieve on a consistent or reliable basis because of the lack of standardized network interfaces, network switching mechanisms, and/or consistent end-point addressing schemes. Although emerging technologies such as ATM might eventually support such services ubiquitously across wide areas, a lack of public standards and very high cost of deployment limit the availability of ATM as an effective solution.
Conventional video conferencing and multimedia information distribution systems often aim at solving this problem by leasing dedicated, direct, permanent, point-to-point trunk lines between users' computer sites, and by providing sophisticated proprietary hardware at each site. This requires substantial investment, requires users to schedule communication sessions carefully, and is not scalable to suit variable levels of on-demand use with consistent quality-of-service between individuals within arbitrary groups of users. Moreover, these systems often add new infrastructure requirements and large incremental traffic loads to a site's existing local computer network infrastructure, such as LANs, thereby compromising the quality and reliability of more traditional data services previously available to those users.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for supplying multimedia communications over both local and wide areas using standard bearer channels with a system that provides scalable, variable bandwidth per session, and on-demand service while neither intruding upon, nor wastefully adding to, a site's existing LAN network infrastructure or LAN traffic load. The present invention satisfies this need.